NHL: San Jose Sharks conclude homestand on Saturday against the Dallas Stars
SAN JOSE — All things considered, San Jose Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek has been sleeping pretty well lately, considering his wife, Kristyna, gave birth to a baby boy late last month.
Vanecek credits his wife and mother for caring for the baby’s needs at night while he tries to get his required rest, although he admits some issues might be on the horizon.
“I’m really happy that (my mom) is helping me, and then my wife, she understands that I have to sleep and get some energy. So it’s really good,” Vanecek said. “(But we’re) going to see when the mom is going to leave.”
Making his first NHL start in almost eight weeks — because of injury, not the newborn — Vanecek looked sharp Thursday as he made 21 saves through the first three periods of the Sharks’ game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center. But he couldn’t stop a penalty shot by forward Drew O’Connor 33 seconds into overtime, as the Canucks handed the Sharks a 2-1 loss.
Macklin Celebrini was called for hooking O’Connor on a Canucks odd-man rush in the extra session. On the penalty shot, O’Connor skated wide to Vanecek’s right before returning to the middle of the ice and firing a shot that snuck inside the far post.
“I don’t think it was a penalty shot,” Vanecek said of the official’s call on the ice. “But it is what it is.”
Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli scored his 20th goal of the season with 1:28 left in the third period to help send the game into overtime. Still, the Sharks’ loss was their ninth in the last 10 games — and their 18th by one goal this season — as they remained in 32nd and last place in the NHL’s overall standings.
“We competed hard, we worked hard,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Our puck play was a little iffy at times, but I thought we did enough to win a hockey game, that’s for sure.”
It was also a positive night for Vanecek, who made 22 saves and wants to show he can still play at this level.
Vanecek entered Thursday with a 3-8-1 record and a subpar .885 save percentage in 14 games with the rebuilding Sharks this season. He made 49 saves in San Jose’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 5, but his only other victories came on Oct. 29 against Los Angeles and Nov. 29 against Seattle.
It’s a far cry from when he entered the league with the Washington Capitals in the pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 season, went 21-10-4 and finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Since entering the league in 2021, Vanecek has 94 wins in 177 career NHL games and a respectable .904 save percentage.
But the last two seasons have been a struggle. Vanecek had to miss the final two months of last season with the New Jersey Devils with a groin injury that later required surgery. He was traded to the Sharks in Feb. 2023 as part of the deal that sent winger Timo Meier to the Devils.
Now Vanecek is in the final season of a three-year, $10.2 million contract he signed with the Devils in July 2022. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent who will be searching for a new contract once this season ends, and whether he gets one might at least partially depend on how he plays down the stretch, whether that’s in San Jose or elsewhere.
“For sure, that it is a contract year, you want to have a good season,” Vanecek said. “It’s been rough, you know? So we’re going to try to battle and then see what will happen.”
Vanecek on Thursday was also the beneficiary of 24 blocked shots by the Sharks, helping the veteran goalie transition back into the NHL after he sustained a freak injury in December.
Vanecek stopped 36 of 40 shots in a 4-3 Sharks loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Dec. 14. Three days later, he sustained a fractured cheekbone as he was struck in the face by an errant puck that sailed into the Sharks bench in a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
While the cheekbone was entirely healed when Vanecek got back onto the ice again for practice last month, there was still the mental hurdle of what it would be like to be struck again in the face by a puck, even while wearing a mask.
Vanecek got past that after a few practices, then went on a conditioning assignment with the Barracuda last Friday to help sharpen his game. He stopped 22 of 24 shots in San Jose’s 6-2 win over Henderson.
“For sure, you think about it a little bit,” Vanecek said of the injury. “But if you want to play goal, you have to stop thinking about it and then just play. And then if they hit you in the head, you’re going to see what’s going to happen and let that happen.
“It was a little bit rough, for sure, for the first three practices, but after that, it was pretty good.”
Vanecek is now 3-8-2 this season with a .887 save percentage. He could be in line to start again on Saturday when the Sharks host the Dallas Stars in their final game before the NHL breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from Feb. 12-20.
But a well-rested Vanecek was happy to get at least one game before the break.
“It’s huge to get the game. I got one game in the AHL too to get going a little bit,” Vanecek said. “They trusted me today to put me in the net, so I’m really happy with that. It’s always good before the break, and the break is pretty long now, so I’m really happy I get this one, and then we’ll see what’s gonna happen in the last one.”
SAN JOSE — All things considered, San Jose Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek has been sleeping pretty well lately, considering his wife, Kristyna, gave birth to a baby boy late last month.
Vanecek credits his wife and mother for caring for the baby’s needs at night while he tries to get his required rest, although he admits some issues might be on the horizon.
“I’m really happy that (my mom) is helping me, and then my wife, she understands that I have to sleep and get some energy. So it’s really good,” Vanecek said. “(But we’re) going to see when the mom is going to leave.”
Making his first NHL start in almost eight weeks — because of injury, not the newborn — Vanecek looked sharp Thursday as he made 21 saves through the first three periods of the Sharks’ game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center. But he couldn’t stop a penalty shot by forward Drew O’Connor 33 seconds into overtime, as the Canucks handed the Sharks a 2-1 loss.
Macklin Celebrini was called for hooking O’Connor on a Canucks odd-man rush in the extra session. On the penalty shot, O’Connor skated wide to Vanecek’s right before returning to the middle of the ice and firing a shot that snuck inside the far post.
“I don’t think it was a penalty shot,” Vanecek said of the official’s call on the ice. “But it is what it is.”
Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli scored his 20th goal of the season with 1:28 left in the third period to help send the game into overtime. Still, the Sharks’ loss was their ninth in the last 10 games — and their 18th by one goal this season — as they remained in 32nd and last place in the NHL’s overall standings.
“We competed hard, we worked hard,” Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Our puck play was a little iffy at times, but I thought we did enough to win a hockey game, that’s for sure.”
It was also a positive night for Vanecek, who made 22 saves and wants to show he can still play at this level.
Vanecek entered Thursday with a 3-8-1 record and a subpar .885 save percentage in 14 games with the rebuilding Sharks this season. He made 49 saves in San Jose’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 5, but his only other victories came on Oct. 29 against Los Angeles and Nov. 29 against Seattle.
It’s a far cry from when he entered the league with the Washington Capitals in the pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 season, went 21-10-4 and finished sixth in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Since entering the league in 2021, Vanecek has 94 wins in 177 career NHL games and a respectable .904 save percentage.
But the last two seasons have been a struggle. Vanecek had to miss the final two months of last season with the New Jersey Devils with a groin injury that later required surgery. He was traded to the Sharks in Feb. 2023 as part of the deal that sent winger Timo Meier to the Devils.
Now Vanecek is in the final season of a three-year, $10.2 million contract he signed with the Devils in July 2022. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent who will be searching for a new contract once this season ends, and whether he gets one might at least partially depend on how he plays down the stretch, whether that’s in San Jose or elsewhere.
“For sure, that it is a contract year, you want to have a good season,” Vanecek said. “It’s been rough, you know? So we’re going to try to battle and then see what will happen.”
Vanecek on Thursday was also the beneficiary of 24 blocked shots by the Sharks, helping the veteran goalie transition back into the NHL after he sustained a freak injury in December.
Vanecek stopped 36 of 40 shots in a 4-3 Sharks loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Dec. 14. Three days later, he sustained a fractured cheekbone as he was struck in the face by an errant puck that sailed into the Sharks bench in a game against the Winnipeg Jets.
While the cheekbone was entirely healed when Vanecek got back onto the ice again for practice last month, there was still the mental hurdle of what it would be like to be struck again in the face by a puck, even while wearing a mask.
Vanecek got past that after a few practices, then went on a conditioning assignment with the Barracuda last Friday to help sharpen his game. He stopped 22 of 24 shots in San Jose’s 6-2 win over Henderson.
“For sure, you think about it a little bit,” Vanecek said of the injury. “But if you want to play goal, you have to stop thinking about it and then just play. And then if they hit you in the head, you’re going to see what’s going to happen and let that happen.
“It was a little bit rough, for sure, for the first three practices, but after that, it was pretty good.”
Vanecek is now 3-8-2 this season with a .887 save percentage. He could be in line to start again on Saturday when the Sharks host the Dallas Stars in their final game before the NHL breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from Feb. 12-20.
But a well-rested Vanecek was happy to get at least one game before the break.
“It’s huge to get the game. I got one game in the AHL too to get going a little bit,” Vanecek said. “They trusted me today to put me in the net, so I’m really happy with that. It’s always good before the break, and the break is pretty long now, so I’m really happy I get this one, and then we’ll see what’s gonna happen in the last one.”
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